Cooler Master Hyper N520 CPU Cooler Review

Packaging and Accessories

The box the N520 comes in is a startling contrast to the V line of coolers we have reviewed. Where the V8 and V10 came in a black and red motif, the N520 has taken a different yet just as noticeable approach to its box art. As you can see Cooler Master elected to use a very simple purple and white motif which may be simple in execution yet still conveys a serious, professional aura.


When you open up the box you are greeted to the exact same inner protection scheme as the V8. In a nut shell you have the exterior cardboard box and inside this box is another plastic “clamshell” box which further protects the cooler while it’s in transit. It’s good, elegant, light weight and a proven design; what more could ask for in a packaging scheme?


In what seems to becoming a very nice trend with CM coolers, the list of accessories is darn near identical to the ones which grace the V-series of air base CPU cooling solutions. You have your usual super sturdy backplate and retention mechanisms for i7, 775 and AMD systems, a good user manual and instruction pamphlet and a tube of TIM.

However, the thermal compound found with the V-series is different than the one which the N520 has. If we had to guess it is due to the all copper base design of this cooler, and this TIM has been specifically formulated to resist tarnishing the copper. This is only a guess but we can not think of another reasonable explanation why they would have swapped out the normal TIM. In either case we will be throwing it back in the box and going with our tried and true MX-2.